This is not that big of a deal, but any thoughts on these commute options? I drive a Honda Civic, gets about 38 mpg highway and about 28 suburban driving (intermittent stoplights).
Highway option: 14.6 miles, 2 stoplights 16 minutes. Pretty much highway the whole way with no traffic. I prefer this route mentally.
Round trip the highway is 12 miles longer but 8 minutes shorter. I would hope that less wear and tear on the highway would offset more miles and slightly more fuel. Thoughts???
I have a similar situation in my commute: 75 miles by highway, or ~65 by scenic country road. Roughly the same time on the road, less gas used on the country route. I usually take the highway for convenience and time saving (easier to get away with the 5mph over the limit rule on highways than country roads–safer, too), but I take the scenic route when not in any hurry.
My ride would be in the dark on busy roads. Too sketchy for my tastes. My coworker was hit by a car doing the same ride in late August during the daylight.